Take An Honest Look At Yourself
We can impartially judge some- W thing only when we stand apart from it. Detachment annotexist when we have a sense of intense ownership or possessiveness. That is why an author or an artist consults reviewers for their opinions. Our attachments lend false beauty o things; blinded with the pride of possession, we often fail to see the gliness of cherished possessions. Just as we, blinded by attachments and prejudices, fail to see the real nature of hinges and beings, so also we, deluded Dey our lack of detachment, remain lustfully ignorant of our own weaknesses and faults. The divine life starts with the practice of detaching ourselves from our body, mind and intellect, and impartially estimating Che motives, intentions and purposes chat lie behind our thoughts, words and deeds. Such impartial witnessing is called introspection. It is not easy to accomplish. Self-analysis and self-criticism are hard tasks. At every stage, our self-conceit and egoistic self-congratulation covers our faults and shortcomings and invests them with a false charm. The best time to introspect is at the close of the day's activities. After dinner, a restful repose floods the mind. This is the sacred hour for negation and assertion. The psychological person in you is, at this moment, receptive and vividly transparent. Let the day's activities, actions, motives, thoughts and feelings stream by. In the beginning, attempts at self-analysis may prove to be unsatisfactory. Your first analysis may seem like the narration of the ideal life lived by a god! Nevertheless, continue the practice. Seek to discover weaknesses, faults and animalisms in each day's transact tion. This process is called 'detection'. Within a week, it will be revealed that yours is not, in any sense, a god's life. Dark reports should not discourage you. The darker the reports, the greater should be the effort to readjust your values and redirect your thought currents. Inner reformation always comes with revelation. When you have detected the weaknesses and are ashamed of them, at that moment, those traits are dead. This stage is known as 'negation'. At this point, you have won only half the battle. As soon as you apprehend and defeat a weakness, substitute its opposite virtue in your personality. Thereafter, look for its play during each day's dealings, and you will find how the new virtue grows to be a natural trait in you. This stage is called 'substitution'. Introspection, detection, negation and substitution, these constitute the preliminary processes in the purification and tempering of the seeker. Without this mellowing treatment, one is not fit for the strains of spiritual growth. Neglect of this unavoidable preparation for divine life has landed many enthusing the wastelands of despair. Unless he establishes contact wit God, no divinity can flow into the seeker. Contact is a condition in the fulfilment of which spiritual growth comes into play. This contact is established by living the divine life. Even then, the potential divinity cannot flood the mind of the person trying to live the divine life if he is already too full of the 'divine'. 'Empty thyself, and I shall fill thee,'an eternal promise. This emptyingundivine contents starts with introspection, and is effected througcareful, consistent detection and nations of grosser instincts. Substitution the secret of invoking divine grace writer is founder of ChinmaMission.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Swami Chinmayananda Vasudev views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy:: Swami Chinmayananda and Speaking Tree,Times of India
Take An Honest Look At Yourself
We can impartially judge some- W thing only when we stand apart from it. Detachment annotexist when we have a sense of intense ownership or possessiveness. That is why an author or an artist consults reviewers for their opinions. Our attachments lend false beauty o things; blinded with the pride of possession, we often fail to see the gliness of cherished possessions. Just as we, blinded by attachments and prejudices, fail to see the real nature of hinges and beings, so also we, deluded Dey our lack of detachment, remain lustfully ignorant of our own weaknesses and faults. The divine life starts with the practice of detaching ourselves from our body, mind and intellect, and impartially estimating Che motives, intentions and purposes chat lie behind our thoughts, words and deeds. Such impartial witnessing is called introspection. It is not easy to accomplish. Self-analysis and self-criticism are hard tasks. At every stage, our self-conceit and egoistic self-congratulation covers our faults and shortcomings and invests them with a false charm. The best time to introspect is at the close of the day's activities. After dinner, a restful repose floods the mind. This is the sacred hour for negation and assertion. The psychological person in you is, at this moment, receptive and vividly transparent. Let the day's activities, actions, motives, thoughts and feelings stream by. In the beginning, attempts at self-analysis may prove to be unsatisfactory. Your first analysis may seem like the narration of the ideal life lived by a god! Nevertheless, continue the practice. Seek to discover weaknesses, faults and animalisms in each day's transact tion. This process is called 'detection'. Within a week, it will be revealed that yours is not, in any sense, a god's life. Dark reports should not discourage you. The darker the reports, the greater should be the effort to readjust your values and redirect your thought currents. Inner reformation always comes with revelation. When you have detected the weaknesses and are ashamed of them, at that moment, those traits are dead. This stage is known as 'negation'. At this point, you have won only half the battle. As soon as you apprehend and defeat a weakness, substitute its opposite virtue in your personality. Thereafter, look for its play during each day's dealings, and you will find how the new virtue grows to be a natural trait in you. This stage is called 'substitution'. Introspection, detection, negation and substitution, these constitute the preliminary processes in the purification and tempering of the seeker. Without this mellowing treatment, one is not fit for the strains of spiritual growth. Neglect of this unavoidable preparation for divine life has landed many enthusing the wastelands of despair. Unless he establishes contact wit God, no divinity can flow into the seeker. Contact is a condition in the fulfilment of which spiritual growth comes into play. This contact is established by living the divine life. Even then, the potential divinity cannot flood the mind of the person trying to live the divine life if he is already too full of the 'divine'. 'Empty thyself, and I shall fill thee,'an eternal promise. This emptyingundivine contents starts with introspection, and is effected througcareful, consistent detection and nations of grosser instincts. Substitution the secret of invoking divine grace writer is founder of ChinmaMission.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Swami Chinmayananda Vasudev views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy:: Swami Chinmayananda and Speaking Tree,Times of India